It's Been Happening for Quite A While:
Their Plants Invade Here, Our Plants Invade There

The problems of invasive non-native plants have been recognized and studied around the world for quite some time--the Spartina invasion of England and France in the late 1800s; the Salvinia invasion of Ceylon in the 1940s; the current Lantana invasion of South Africa. And for more than 100 years, an official war has been waged against water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) in the U.S., recently resulting in "maintenance control" of this plant in the U.S. Now, by Presidential decree and federal law, the water hyacinth war has been expanded to include hundreds of invasive non-native plants, aquatic and terrestrial, which are invading the wildlands and waters of America.

To gain perspective on invasive plant problems and their solutions, wouldn't it behoove us to learn of the experiences of others, past and present, successes and failures, aquatic and terrestrial, in the U.S. and elsewhere? That's why the APIRS plant literature database was created: to gather from myriad scientific sources the insights and answers gleaned by invasive plant researchers around the world. Invasive plant research published in several hundred journals and books is included in this database of more than 53,000 items.

While there are many fine new books being published about invasive non-native plants (listed at http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/books.html), the information in these books generally is extracted from the research. The following publications represent a fraction of the thousands of research items in the APIRS collection that are specifically about plant invasions, ecology and biology. Although the APIRS collection originally was devoted to aquatic plants, we are now tracking the literature of all invasive plants as well, aquatic, wetland and terrestrial. The following titles merely suggest the variety of invasive plant problems and management projects around the world. You are welcome to query the online database http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/database.html or have us do it for you kpb@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu, to obtain citation bibliographies on any invasive plants in the world.

References:

Animal Plant Control Commission, South Australia. 1994. Prohibited Aquarium and Pond Plants. Proclaimed Plant Notes, APCC-5/Aquatic/Ver2/July121994.

(Australia's prohibited plant list includes some plants that are beneficial natives in the U.S., such as Cabomba caroliniana, Hydrocotyle ranunculoides, Ceratophyllum demersum, and Sagittaria graminea; some plants prohibited in the U.S. are beneficial natives in Australia, plants such as Melaleuca quinquenervia.)

Ashton, P.J., D.S. Mitchell. 1989. Aquatic Plants: Patterns and Modes of Invasion, Attributes of Invading Species and Assess- ment of Control Programmes. In: Biological Invasions: A Global Perspective, pp. 111-154. Drake, J.A. and H.A. Mooney (eds.), John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Chichester.

(A review of modes.)

Baki, B.B. 2000. Biological invasions of noxious weeds in a man-made reservoir. A case study of Timah Tasuh, Perlis, Malaysia. In: Abstracts, Third Internat'l. Weed Sci. Congress, A. Legere (ed.), Foz do Iguassu, Brazil, June 6-11; pp. 5-6.

(Leersia hexandra, a bird food native in the U.S., is unwanted in Malaysia.)

Baldwin, J.R., J.R. Lovvorn. 1994. Expansion of seagrass habitat by the exotic Zostera japonica, and its use by dabbling ducks and brant in Boundary Bay, British Columbia. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 103(1-2):119-127.

Barreto, R.W., H.C. Evans. 1995. The mycobiota of the weed Mikania micrantha in southern Brazil with particular reference to fungal pathogens for biological control. Mycol. Res. 99(3):343-352.

Bentivegna, D.J., O.A. Fernandez, M.A. Burgos, M.R. Sabbatini Cerzos. 2000. Growth of Potamogeton pectinatus L. in the irrigation system of the Rio Colorado, Argentina. In: Abstracts, Third Internat'l. Weed Sci. Congress, A. Legere, (ed.), Foz do Iguassu, Brazil, pp. 219-220.

(Native in North America, invasive in South America.)

Blossey, B., J. Kamil. 1996. What determines the increased competitive ability of invasive non-indigenous plants? In: Proceedings of the IX Internat'l. Symp. on Biological Control of Weeds, pp. 3-9. V.C. Moran and J.H. Hoffmann (eds.). 19-26 January 1996, Stellenbosch, South Africa. University of Cape Town.

(Lythrum salicaria is also attacking South Africa.)

Bossard, C.C., J.M. Randall, M.C. Hoshovsky, eds. 2000. Invasive Plants of California's Wildlands. University of California Press, Berkeley. 360 pp.

(Some invasive plants in California, such as Spartina alterniflora and Spartina patens, are desirable natives in the eastern U.S.)

Chapman, V.J., J.M.A. Brown, C.F. Hill, J.L. Carr. 1974. Biology of excessive weed growth in the hydro-electric lakes of the Waikato River, New Zealand. Hydrobiologia 44(4):349- 363.

(Invasive Ceratophyllum demersum shut down the Ohakuri power plant in 1965; however, it is a desirable native in the southeastern U.S.)

Cody, W.J., K.L. MacInnes, J. Cayouette, S. Darbyshire. 2000. Alien and invasive native vascular plants along the Norman Wells pipeline, District of Mackenzie, Northwest Territories. Canadian Field Naturalist 114(1):126-137.

Crowder, A.A., J.P. Smol, R. Dalrymple, R. Gilbert, et al. 1996. Rates of natural and anthropogenic change in shoreline habitats in the Kingston Basin, Lake Ontario. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 53(Suppl.1):121-135.

Dawson, F.H., D. Holland. 1999. The distribution in bankside habitats of three alien invasive plants in the U.K. in relation to the development of control strategies. In: Developments in Hydrobiology, J. Caffrey, P.R.F. Barrett, et al., eds. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, pp. 193-201.

Del Fosse, E.S. (ed.) 1980. Proceedings of the Fifth International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds. 22-29 July 1980. Brisbane, Australia.

(Biological control and management of Salvinia molesta, Rumex crispus, Hypericum perforatum, and Senecio jacobaea, among other invasive plants.)

Deloach, C.J. 1991. Past successes and current prospects in biological control of weeds in the United States and Canada. Natural Areas J. 11(3):129-142.

Duncan, K.W. 1997. A case study in Tamarix ramosissima control: Spring Lake, New Mexico. In: Plant Invasions: Studies from North America and Europe, J.H. Brock, M. Wade, P. Pysek and D. Green, (eds.), Backhuys Publ., Leiden, pp. 115-121.

Elton, C.S. 1958/2000. The Ecology of Invasions by Animals and Plants. University of Chicago Press. 181 pp.

(One of the first seers in the field.)

Ferreira, M.T., I.S. Moreira. 1995. The invasive component of a river flora under the influence of Mediterranean agricultural systems. In: Plant Invasions - General Aspects and Special Problems, pp. 117-127. P. Pysek, K. Prach, M. Rejmanek and M. Wade (eds). SPB Academic Publishing, Amsterdam.

(Paspalum distichum, a beneficial knotgrass native to the U.S., is unwanted in Portugal.)

Gopal, B. 1987. Water hyacinth. Aquatic Plant Studies 1. Elsevier Sci. Publ., Amsterdam. 471 pp. (A monograph.)

Gritten, R.H. 1995. Rhododendron ponticum and some other invasive plants in the Snowdonia National Park. In: Plant Invasions - General Aspects and Special Problems, pp. 213-219. P. Pysek, K. Prach, et al (eds). 1995. SPB Academic Publishing, Amsterdam.

(Rhododendron ponticum, native to Spain and Portugal, is unwanted in North Wales.)

Groves, R.H. 1986. Plant invasions of Australia: An overview. In: Ecology of Biological Invasions, R.H. Groves and J.J. Burdon (eds.). Cambridge University Press, London, pp. 137- 149.

(Sagittaria graminea, Cabomba caroliniana, Eichhornia crassipes, Hydrilla verticillata, Lantana camara, Myriophyllum aquaticum and M. spicatum are unwanted in Australia.)

Hamabata, E. 1997. Distribution, stand structure and yearly biomass fluctuation of Elodea nuttallii, an alien species in Lake Biwa. Jpn. J. Limnol. 58(2):173-190.

(A North American species in a Japanese lake.)

Hatting, E.R. 1961. Problem of Salvinia auriculata Aubl. and associated aquatic weeds on Kariba Lake. Weed Research 1(4):303-306.

(Salvinia has been an invader for years.)

Hedge, P., L.K. Kriwoken. 2000. Evidence for effects of Spartina anglica invasion on benthic macrofauna in Little Swanport Estuary, Tasmania. Austral Ecology 25(2):150-159.

(Spartina anglica has made it to the other side of the world.)

Henderson, L. 1999. The Southern African Plant Invaders Atlas (SAPIA) and its contribution to biological control. African Entomol. Memoir 1:159-163.

(Lantana camara, Melia azederach and Lonicera japonica are blacklisted both in Florida and in South Africa.)

Jenkins, P.T. 2000. Global policy changes needed to stop biological invasions caused by international trade. In: Third Internat'l. Weed Sci. Congress, A. Legere, (ed.), Foz do Iguassu, Brazil, p. 214.

Kartesz, J.T., C.A. Meacham. 1999. Synthesis of the North American Flora. CD, North Carolina Botanical Garden.

Kissmann, K.G. 1987. O problema das plantas invasoras na cultura do arroz. Atualidades Agricolas 1(1):4-11.

(Polygonum hydropiperoides, native in Florida, is unwanted in Portuguese rice fields.)

Kornas, J. 1996. Five centuries of exchange of synanthropic flora between the Old and the New World. Wiadomsci Botaniczne 40(1):11-19. (In Polish; English summary)

(Humans and post- Columbian plant migrations.)

Kozhova, O.M., L.A. Izhboldina. 1992. Spread of Elodea canadensis in Lake Baikal. Hydrobiologia 239(1):43-52.

Les, D.H., L.J. Mehrhoff. 1999. Introduction of nonindigenous aquatic vascular plants in southern New England: a historical perspective. Biological Invasions 1:281-300.

(Cabomba caroliniana and Limnobium spongia, natives to the southeastern U.S., are unwanted in the northeastern U.S.)

Monteiro, A., T. Vasconcelos, L. Catarino, eds. 1998. Proc. 10th EWRS International Symposium on Aquatic Weeds. European Weed Research Society, September 1998, Lisbon.

(Since 1967, the European Weed Research Society has met over invasive plants.)

Nohara, S., M. Hiroki. 1996. Effects of land use in the surrounding area on bamboo grass invasion into Akaiyachi Mire. In: Mires of Japan, T. Iwakuma, ed., National Inst. Environ. Studies, Tsukuba, pp. 95-98.

Pieterse, A.H., K.J. Murphy. 1990. Aquatic Weeds: The Ecology and Management of Nuisance Aquatic Vegetation. Oxford University Press, New York. 593 pp.

(Information about 372 aquatic species around the world.)

Prach, K., S. Husak. 1996. Invasion of alien plants. In: Floodplain Ecology and Management, pp. 93-98. Prach, H., J. Jenick, et al, (eds.). SPB Academic Publ., Amsterdam.

(Among others, Heracleum mantegazzianum (giant hog weed) is a problem plant for river managers in Ireland, is prohibited in Washington state, and is invading Canada.)

Pysek, P. 1998. Alien and native species in Central European urban floras: a quantitative comparison. J. Biogeog. 25:155-163.

Roberts, D.E., A.G. Church, S.P. Cummins. 1999. Invasion of Egeria into the Hawkesbury-Nepean River, Australia. J. Aquat. Plant Manage. 37:31-34.

(Egeria is displacing "native" Vallisneria americana in Australia.)

Ruiz-Avila, R.J., V.V. Klemm. 1996. Management of Hydrocotyle ranunculoides L.f., an aquatic invasive weed of urban waterways in Western Austra- lia. Hydrobiologia 340:187-190.

(Hydrocotyle ranunculoides, floating marsh pennywort, is native to the U.S. but is unwanted on Australian rivers.)

Sandlund, O.T., P.J. Schei, A. Viken, eds. 1999. Invasive Species and Biodiversity Management. Kluwer Academic Publishing, Boston. 431 pp.

Stone, C.P., C.W. Smith, et al., eds. 1992. Alien Plant Invasions in Native Ecosystems of Hawaiii--Management and Research. University of Hawaii, Honolulu.

(A continent and half an ocean apart, Florida and Hawaii share some of the same invasive plants: Psidium guajava, P. cattleianum, Schinus terebinthifolius, Ficus microcarpa, Sacciolepis indica and others.)

Thompson, K., J.G. Hodgson, T.C.G. Rich. 1995. Native and alien invasive plants: more of the same? Ecography 18:390-402. Copenhagen.

(A list of many non-native plants in Europe.)

Tjitrosoedirdjo, S.S., E.T. Wahyu. 1994. Weed Information Sheets. Southeast Asia Weed Information Center, SEAMEO BIOTROP, Bogor, Indonesia.

(Eleusine indica, Indian goosegrass, is an invasive plant in the crops of Indonesia, as well as the U.S. and eastern Canada.)

Tsuyuzaki, S., T. Tsujii. 1992. Size and shape of Carex mayeriana tussocks in an alpine wetland, northern Sichuan Province, China. Can. J. Bot. 70:2310-2312.

Usher, J.F. 1971. Salvinia--a rival for water hyacinth? Cane Growers Quarterly Bull. 34:137-138.

(Salvinia in Australia since the 1960s.)

van Wilgen, B.W., F. van der Heyden, H.G. Zimmermann, D. Magadlela, T. Willems. 2000. Big returns from small organisms: developing a strategy for the biological control of invasive alien plants in South Africa. South African J. Science 96(3):148-152.

(The "Working for Water" program led to the establishment of over 200 alien plant control projects in South Africa against plants such as Acacia longifolia, Lantana camara and Solanum mauritianum.)

van der Wal, R., S. van Lieshout, D. Bos, R.H. Drent. 2000. Are spring staging brent geese evicted by vegetation succession? Ecography (23(1):60-69.

(Migrating waterfowl may not be able to eat invading plants in The Netherlands.)

Velu, G., A. Rajagopal. 1996. Response of rice (Oryza sativa) to infestation of barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli). Indian J. Agric. Sci. 66(6):360-362.

Wisheu, I.C., P.A. Keddy. 1994. The low competitive ability of Canada's Atlantic coastal plain shoreline flora: Implications for conservation. Biological Conserv. 68(3):247-252.

Wild, H. 1961. Harmful aquatic plants in Africa and Madagascar. CSA/CCTA Joint Publ. No. 73, Salisbury. 68 pp.

Zalba, S.M., M.I. Sonaglioni, C.A. Compagnoni, C.J. Belenguer. 2000. Using a habitat model to assess the risk of invasion by an exotic plant. Biological Conserv. 93(2):203-208.

(Atriplex nummularia invasion in Argentina.)